Waterbury police present 61-point efficiency study, highlight dispatch delays at Northwest Communications

Police Chief Fernando Spagnuolo and consultants from Barry Dunn presented an operational assessment to the Waterbury Board of Aldermen on Sept. 9 that identified 61 recommendations for the department and raised concerns about delays between when residents call 911 and when officers are dispatched.

The report, awarded in 2022 under a contract of roughly $187,000, included a detailed review of the police department’s operations and a related assessment of Northwest Communications, the private dispatch center that handles the city’s calls. Michelle Weinsell, senior manager for Barry Dunn, told the board the project had two phases: an operational assessment and an action-planning phase to help the department implement recommendations.

“There were a total of 61 recommendations,” Weinsell said, noting that several midpoint recommendations were issued during the study and incorporated into the final document. The consultants said the most urgent concern was the “front end” lag — the time between when a call is received at dispatch and when it is assigned to a patrol unit…